Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1887-04-07

hoO otOACh ia bitOOO PdiAo
OF the upper floor that it wasn't
convenient to stand up in. Then l
drew an imaginary line dividing the
lower floor into parlor, bedroom
and kitchen. A large bed, with a
sliding-bed underneath for the chill
dren, around which ! suspended cur
tain, was the bedroom; piano, sofa,
rocker and two chairs was parlor;
dining-room contained table, chairs
and bureau; kitchen, cook stove and
table. l covered the floor with rag
carpet, thinking it the most suitable. l
put some beds upstairs for the accom-
mediation of any travellers until hotel
could be built. We were now settled.
My husband, in the mean time, had
not been idle. Parties were buying
lots and building houses, saw-mill
was going up, and the land was being
cleared, for the town was located right
in the woods. Those were pleasant
days, for, although pressed with bust
ness, my husband would occasionally
go hunting and fishing. l almost al
ways accompanied him. He had bought
me a small rifle and taught me to shoot
at mark until l had been quite expert
with my rifle, so he was not the only
one who brought down the game on
our hunting expeditions.
My first introduction to the Indians
was rather unexpected. 1t was one
Sunday. All had gone out for walk,
leaving the children and myself for the
first time alone. Four big Indians
stepped to the door, and all | could
think of was the terrible things l had
read about scalping, etc. | turned
around without word and cut up
some pies and gave to them, remem-
bering that some one had said that if
you are kind to them they won't harm
you. There was smile on their faces
when they took the pie and sat down
to eat it, Now, when / think of it, |
would say they must have been smiling
in their sleeves had they any to smile
in, for they could see how frightened l
was.
Our place was only few miles from
Winnebago Reservation, and the In
dams now began to come back and
forth to trade and buy at the store.
We were often annoyed by them.
One morning had just mixed some
bread dough and had put it nicely COW
cred o chair near the stove, when a
big Indian walked in and deliberately
sat down on it. l pulled him away
and showed him the bread. He laughed.
As the weather grew colder and the
evenings longer we derived much en-
joyment from our music. We had pur-
chased all the latest songs before leav-
ing home, and made good use of them.
Many traveller on entering our cabin
home opened wide his eyes in astonish-
ment when they rested on the piano.
One gentleman from Philadelphia went
so far as to say that had he came across
a steamboat in the woods he wouldn't
have been more surprised. often had
quite an audience, composed mainly of
Indians, listening attentively.
The land all around us was taken up,
and, in order to have our one hundred
and sixty acres near the town, hus-
band bought claim from young
man who had not yet acquired title
from the Government. 1t was about
two miles from town. We were obliged
to live on it thirty days before we could
pre-empt it. We delayed living on it
till the following spring, and came
near losing it. Husband came in one
evening in great haste and said he had
heard that some man was building a
cabin on our claim, and if we didn't
take possession of our cabin that night
we would lose it. hastily gathered
together few things, and we started
on our tramp through the woods, nus
band leading the way, with child
on one arm and lantern on
the other followed by myself
and the rest of the children, with
Pat, our man of all work, in the real
trundling wheelbarrow laden with
bedding, etc. l gradually became
reconciled to living in hut, fol
that was about what it was. Isoon be
gan to realize the truth of what thai
woman had warned me, for larg,
centipede, five inches long, fell from
the roof to my feet one day, and a
another time | brushed one from my
bed. The children called my attention
to a large snake near the house. L
was as thick as good-sized mans
arm, and after il had been killed. haC
the pleasure of learning that they al
ways went in pairs, but although W,
watched daily, its mate never put il
an appearance.
Our little cabin was right near tn,
Q lake, and / often set the line at nigh
and in the morning would always fin,
S a good-sized fish. One morning
! caught very large fish; had to ge
some one to help take it out of tn
water. We dined and supped from it
D and afterward found out that it wa
e called buffalo fish, kind that not evel
t the Indians ate. Husband laughed IA
h me, but later on was able to turn tn,
, tables. He brought home large bir'
that he had shot. l plucked an,
S roasted it, and we ate it. The mex
/, day in showing the head and plumag
< (Which was beautifully, we were in
r formed it was loon, a bird that n
r one ate.
l forgot to state that my husban,
q staid over in town all day, only comm,
I. to stay with us at night. One evening
a when he came he said there was
], rumor that the Sioux Indians were kill
i IL ~